THREE BRITISH entrepreneurs have been featured in a global top 50 list of the most innovative and inspirational Black leaders in the technology industry.

The list, published by leading digital media brand UrbanGeekz, features categories such as Venture Capital; Software; FinTech; AI and Machine Learning, Digital Media; Food, Climate and Health; Business-to-Consumer and Community Builders.

The UrbanGeekz 50 list was selected and curated by the news site’s editorial team. However, to broaden the selection process UrbanGeekz involved well-respected Black tech leaders such as Ollen Douglass, Managing Partner at Motley Fool Ventures.

The majority of honourees on the UrbanGeekz 50 list are African American, but three stand-out Black Britons who have been featured are angel investor Andy Ayim MBE, Oliver Kent-Braham, co-founder and co-CEO of insurance firm Marshmallow, and Izzy Obeng, who launched Foundervine which aims to accelerate the growth of entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds.

Networks

Black British IT entrepreneurs have made significant strides in recent years, while facing obstacles such as a lack of access to capital. However, several support networks and accelerators have emerged aimed at enabling UK-based tech entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds to scale their businesses.

In 2021, Britain also got its first Black-owned unicorns (a company valued at $1 billion or more) when Zepz (formerly World Remit) raised £218 million ($292m) and Marshmallow raised £62 million ($85m), taking them to valuations of $5 billion and $1.25 billion respectively.

Kent-Braham started Marshmallow to breathe new life into insurance and disrupt the way things are done. While working with a major insurer in the UK, he became aware of the inherent inefficiencies in traditional insurers and the lack of customer-centric options for UK consumers.

Together with his identical twin brother, Alexander, the British-Jamaican founders launched the company in 2017. Marshmallow helps hundreds of thousands of UK newcomers get a fairer deal on their car insurance every year.

It specialises in offering products for those who struggle to get the right cover from more traditional providers, including young male drivers and those on temporary visas.

Obeng is at the forefront of helping underrepresented groups get more visibility in the predominantly White and male tech industry. The 27-year-old founder uses her voice to promote not only her startup, Foundervine, but to equip entrepreneurs with the tools they need to scale.

Currently, more than 330 entrepreneurs have started new businesses with the help of Foundervine since its founding in 2018.

Skills

The program has helped over 5,000 leaders build new skills. Foundervine has partnered with world-leading institutions such as Barclays Bank, Lloyds Banking Group, Sainsbury’s, Amazon, PwC and WeWork.

Ayim is a UK-based angel-investor, celebrated entrepreneur, and product manager who is on a mission to level the playing field in angel investing.

He attended Brunel University, London, where he obtained a B.Sc. (Hons) in Business & Management (Accounting). He currently runs The Angel Investing School, where he trains professionals from all backgrounds on investing in the next generation of diverse founders.

With as little as £1,000, busy professionals across Europe can learn how to invest in startups, so they can create wealth. Kunbi Tinuoye, founder and CEO of UrbanGeekz, said: “It’s an honour and privilege to curate this list celebrating Black excellence across the innovation economy. Our goal is to profile and celebrate visionaries making an impact, breaking boundaries, and inspiring others to do.”